The Politics of Shaming

I was undecided until probably 2 days before I voted in the Primary. Cruz, Rubio… Rubio, Cruz… back and forth till I selected Cruz. I was happy with my choice. I love hearing and reading about why my friends support who they support. I disagree with some, agree with others, but I generally am happy to be an American who can cast a ballot for my choice in a free election, as can all of us. Here is what I am not happy about: the shaming, the emotional blackmail, the smears, the threats. This is not just Republican vs. Democrat, it’s Republican vs Republican vs Democrat vs Democrat Socialist. We are eating our own and the other side as well.

I am not joining any #NeverAnyone cause because it’s my own fucking business who I choose to support and why. It is my right as a citizen of this country to vote MY CONSCIENCE and MY BELIEFS, and I am NOT going to succumb to the blackmail. (Unfriend me now if you support [fill in the blank]). There is a reason the founding fathers wanted the ballots secret.

I would never stop being friends with anyone who didn’t think like me… I’m kind of a nut. I’d end up friendless if I did that and life would be boring as shit if you lived in a vacuous hole where everyone thinks you are great and agrees with everything you say. No thanks. I prefer to be challenged.

My favorite has been the insults to intelligence. Democrats think all Republicans are stupid. Republicans who don’t support Trump think Trump supporters are “low information” voters, and Republicans think Bernie supporters are brainless sheeple. [Okay that last one is right. J/K] Disagreements are expected, but this sort of hypocritical disrespect is getting old, real quick.

The one that has me on the verge of committing felonious assault by verbal fisking is the tarring and feathering of people using the actions of others. “If you support Trump you are a racist, violent thug because Trump supporters are violent, racist thugs.” Listen up assholes, the only thing people who support a candidate definitely have in common is their support for the candidate. If you don’t ask each one why they support the candidate, then you don’t know why.

When did it become the “norm” to blame someone for the actions of someone else? Using that rationale, let’s see if I can tarnish you.

Hitler was an artist and a vegetarian. So if you like art or are a vegetarian then you hate the Jews and support Nazism.

Ted Bundy was a Methodist who was involved in the Boy Scouts of America for many years. So …follow your own logic.

I hope you all are understanding my point. Some people are single issue voters and others are not. We have free elections in this country because all of our voices are equally important and deserve to be heard.

You can disagree with someone, but that does not make the other person: stupid, blind, racist, sheeple, low-information, a bully, a thug, a misogynist, or whatever else is being said.

I have good friends who are strong and loyal supporters of every single candidate running. None of those people are bad nor stupid. We simply disagree and that’s okay.

This is America, bitches… opposition is a way of life, but respect should be too.